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  • #1

    removing irregular length backslashes in string

    Hello,

    I am trying to remove all of the backslashes of a variable that are located after the last letter. Example below.

    Code:
    * Example generated by -dataex-. To install: ssc install dataex
clear
input str9 hhid str99 spouse_names
"00030-001" "HABSA MOUSSA BA/////"              
"00030-002" "SALA KA/////"                      
"00030-003" ""                                  
"00030-004" "AISSATA DJIBY SY/////"             
"00030-005" "FATY  Sy/////"                     
"00030-006" "DIEYNABA  DIAKHO/////"             
"00030-007" "DIENABA YERO  KA/HABY DJIBY BA////"
"00030-008" "FATY YERO BA/////"                 
"00030-009" "HAWA SAMBA  BA/////"               
"00030-010" ""                                  
"00030-011" ""                                  
"00030-012" "Salamata Dem/////"                 
"00030-013" "Hawa Thiogo/////"                  
"00030-014" ""                                  
"00030-015" "Aissata Ba/////"                   
"00030-016" "Thioya Diallo/////"                
"00030-017" "Habsa  Demba Kebe/////"            
"00030-018" "Maimouna Diallo/////"              
"00030-019" "Salamata  Ba/////"                 
"00030-020" "Gueda Diallo/////"                 
"00030-021" ""                                  
"00030-022" "Hawa  Sy/////"                     
"00030-023" "Houleye  Soumare/////"             
"00030-024" "Fama  Ba/////"                     
"00030-025" ""                                  
"00030-026" ""                                  
"00030-027" "Kadia  DIALLO/////"                
"00030-028" "Rougui Abou  Sy/////"              
"00030-029" ""                                  
"00030-030" "Dieynaba  DIALLO/////"             
"00030-031" "Aïssata Ardo  DIALLO/////"        
"00030-032" "Ramata  Awe/////"                  
"00030-033" "Hawa Aw/////"                      
"00030-034" "Bolo Sow/////"                     
"00030-035" "Dieynaba Ka/Salamata Sow////"      
"00030-036" "Hawa Tamboura/////"                
"00030-037" "Bolo Ba/////"                      
"00030-038" "Farmata Thioye/////"               
"00030-039" "Houleye Diallo/Ramata Ba////"      
"00030-040" "Haby Ba/////"                      
"00030-041" "Dieynaba issaka Ba/////"           
"00030-042" "DIARIATA  AW/////"                 
"00030-043" "KARDIATOU PATHE DIALLO/////"       
"00030-044" ""                                  
"00030-045" "HABY DEMBA DIOUM/////"             
"00030-047" "RAMATOULAYE DIOUM/////"            
end
    But the number of backslashes are different across observations so not sure how to set up a strpo command that is consistent across these.
    The "spouse_names" variable was generated by concacenating 6 variables and indicating a "/" should separate names. If an observation did not have 6 names, which is the max number, the backslashes were still added to the end.

    Thanks.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Either

    Code:
    replace spouse_names= ustrregexra(spouse_names, "/", "")
    or

    Code:
    replace spouse_names= subinstr(spouse_names, "/", "",.)
    will do.

    Comment

    • #3
      But this removes the spaces used to seprate the names. I only want to remove the extra spaces at the end.

      Comment

      • #4
        FWIW, these are forward slashes.

        Does this help? I look for the first slash and cut just before.

        Code:
        * Example generated by -dataex-. To install: ssc install dataex
clear
input str9 hhid str99 spouse_names
"00030-001" "HABSA MOUSSA BA/////"              
"00030-002" "SALA KA/////"                      
"00030-003" ""                                  
"00030-004" "AISSATA DJIBY SY/////"             
"00030-005" "FATY  Sy/////"                     
"00030-006" "DIEYNABA  DIAKHO/////"             
"00030-007" "DIENABA YERO  KA/HABY DJIBY BA////"
"00030-008" "FATY YERO BA/////"                 
"00030-009" "HAWA SAMBA  BA/////"               
"00030-010" ""                                  
"00030-011" ""                                  
"00030-012" "Salamata Dem/////"                 
"00030-013" "Hawa Thiogo/////"                  
"00030-014" ""                                  
"00030-015" "Aissata Ba/////"                   
"00030-016" "Thioya Diallo/////"                
"00030-017" "Habsa  Demba Kebe/////"            
"00030-018" "Maimouna Diallo/////"              
"00030-019" "Salamata  Ba/////"                 
"00030-020" "Gueda Diallo/////"                 
"00030-021" ""                                  
"00030-022" "Hawa  Sy/////"                     
"00030-023" "Houleye  Soumare/////"             
"00030-024" "Fama  Ba/////"                     
"00030-025" ""                                  
"00030-026" ""                                  
"00030-027" "Kadia  DIALLO/////"                
"00030-028" "Rougui Abou  Sy/////"              
"00030-029" ""                                  
"00030-030" "Dieynaba  DIALLO/////"             
"00030-031" "Aïssata Ardo  DIALLO/////"        
"00030-032" "Ramata  Awe/////"                  
"00030-033" "Hawa Aw/////"                      
"00030-034" "Bolo Sow/////"                     
"00030-035" "Dieynaba Ka/Salamata Sow////"      
"00030-036" "Hawa Tamboura/////"                
"00030-037" "Bolo Ba/////"                      
"00030-038" "Farmata Thioye/////"               
"00030-039" "Houleye Diallo/Ramata Ba////"      
"00030-040" "Haby Ba/////"                      
"00030-041" "Dieynaba issaka Ba/////"           
"00030-042" "DIARIATA  AW/////"                 
"00030-043" "KARDIATOU PATHE DIALLO/////"       
"00030-044" ""                                  
"00030-045" "HABY DEMBA DIOUM/////"             
"00030-047" "RAMATOULAYE DIOUM/////"            
end

gen safecopy = substr(spouse_names, 1, strpos(spouse_names, "/") - 1) 

l spouse_names safecopy 

    +-------------------------------------------------------------+
     |                       spouse_names                 safecopy |
     |-------------------------------------------------------------|
  1. |               HABSA MOUSSA BA/////          HABSA MOUSSA BA |
  2. |                       SALA KA/////                  SALA KA |
  3. |                                                             |
  4. |              AISSATA DJIBY SY/////         AISSATA DJIBY SY |
  5. |                      FATY  Sy/////                 FATY  Sy |
     |-------------------------------------------------------------|
  6. |              DIEYNABA  DIAKHO/////         DIEYNABA  DIAKHO |
  7. | DIENABA YERO  KA/HABY DJIBY BA////         DIENABA YERO  KA |
  8. |                  FATY YERO BA/////             FATY YERO BA |
  9. |                HAWA SAMBA  BA/////           HAWA SAMBA  BA |
 10. |                                                             |
     |-------------------------------------------------------------|
 11. |                                                             |
 12. |                  Salamata Dem/////             Salamata Dem |
 13. |                   Hawa Thiogo/////              Hawa Thiogo |
 14. |                                                             |
 15. |                    Aissata Ba/////               Aissata Ba |
     |-------------------------------------------------------------|
 16. |                 Thioya Diallo/////            Thioya Diallo |
 17. |             Habsa  Demba Kebe/////        Habsa  Demba Kebe |
 18. |               Maimouna Diallo/////          Maimouna Diallo |
 19. |                  Salamata  Ba/////             Salamata  Ba |
 20. |                  Gueda Diallo/////             Gueda Diallo |
     |-------------------------------------------------------------|
 21. |                                                             |
 22. |                      Hawa  Sy/////                 Hawa  Sy |
 23. |              Houleye  Soumare/////         Houleye  Soumare |
 24. |                      Fama  Ba/////                 Fama  Ba |
 25. |                                                             |
     |-------------------------------------------------------------|
 26. |                                                             |
 27. |                 Kadia  DIALLO/////            Kadia  DIALLO |
 28. |               Rougui Abou  Sy/////          Rougui Abou  Sy |
 29. |                                                             |
 30. |              Dieynaba  DIALLO/////         Dieynaba  DIALLO |
     |-------------------------------------------------------------|
 31. |          Aïssata Ardo  DIALLO/////     Aïssata Ardo  DIALLO |
 32. |                   Ramata  Awe/////              Ramata  Awe |
 33. |                       Hawa Aw/////                  Hawa Aw |
 34. |                      Bolo Sow/////                 Bolo Sow |
 35. |       Dieynaba Ka/Salamata Sow////              Dieynaba Ka |
     |-------------------------------------------------------------|
 36. |                 Hawa Tamboura/////            Hawa Tamboura |
 37. |                       Bolo Ba/////                  Bolo Ba |
 38. |                Farmata Thioye/////           Farmata Thioye |
 39. |       Houleye Diallo/Ramata Ba////           Houleye Diallo |
 40. |                       Haby Ba/////                  Haby Ba |
     |-------------------------------------------------------------|
 41. |            Dieynaba issaka Ba/////       Dieynaba issaka Ba |
 42. |                  DIARIATA  AW/////             DIARIATA  AW |
 43. |        KARDIATOU PATHE DIALLO/////   KARDIATOU PATHE DIALLO |
 44. |                                                             |
 45. |              HABY DEMBA DIOUM/////         HABY DEMBA DIOUM |
     |-------------------------------------------------------------|
 46. |             RAMATOULAYE DIOUM/////        RAMATOULAYE DIOUM |
     +-------------------------------------------------------------+
        • 1 like

        Comment

        • #5
          Yes, I didn't notice intermediate slashes

          "00030-007" "DIENABA YERO KA/HABY DJIBY BA////"
          Try

          Code:
          replace spouse_names= ustrregexra(spouse_names,  "(^.*[a-zA-Z].*[a-zA-Z])(.*)$", "$1")
          Res.:

          Code:
          . l, sep(0)

     +--------------------------------------------+
     |      hhid                     spouse_names |
     |--------------------------------------------|
  1. | 00030-001                  HABSA MOUSSA BA |
  2. | 00030-002                          SALA KA |
  3. | 00030-003                                  |
  4. | 00030-004                 AISSATA DJIBY SY |
  5. | 00030-005                         FATY  Sy |
  6. | 00030-006                 DIEYNABA  DIAKHO |
  7. | 00030-007   DIENABA YERO  KA/HABY DJIBY BA |
  8. | 00030-008                     FATY YERO BA |
  9. | 00030-009                   HAWA SAMBA  BA |
 10. | 00030-010                                  |
 11. | 00030-011                                  |
 12. | 00030-012                     Salamata Dem |
 13. | 00030-013                      Hawa Thiogo |
 14. | 00030-014                                  |
 15. | 00030-015                       Aissata Ba |
 16. | 00030-016                    Thioya Diallo |
 17. | 00030-017                Habsa  Demba Kebe |
 18. | 00030-018                  Maimouna Diallo |
 19. | 00030-019                     Salamata  Ba |
 20. | 00030-020                     Gueda Diallo |
 21. | 00030-021                                  |
 22. | 00030-022                         Hawa  Sy |
 23. | 00030-023                 Houleye  Soumare |
 24. | 00030-024                         Fama  Ba |
 25. | 00030-025                                  |
 26. | 00030-026                                  |
 27. | 00030-027                    Kadia  DIALLO |
 28. | 00030-028                  Rougui Abou  Sy |
 29. | 00030-029                                  |
 30. | 00030-030                 Dieynaba  DIALLO |
 31. | 00030-031             Aïssata Ardo  DIALLO |
 32. | 00030-032                      Ramata  Awe |
 33. | 00030-033                          Hawa Aw |
 34. | 00030-034                         Bolo Sow |
 35. | 00030-035         Dieynaba Ka/Salamata Sow |
 36. | 00030-036                    Hawa Tamboura |
 37. | 00030-037                          Bolo Ba |
 38. | 00030-038                   Farmata Thioye |
 39. | 00030-039         Houleye Diallo/Ramata Ba |
 40. | 00030-040                          Haby Ba |
 41. | 00030-041               Dieynaba issaka Ba |
 42. | 00030-042                     DIARIATA  AW |
 43. | 00030-043           KARDIATOU PATHE DIALLO |
 44. | 00030-044                                  |
 45. | 00030-045                 HABY DEMBA DIOUM |
 46. | 00030-047                RAMATOULAYE DIOUM |
     +--------------------------------------------+
          Last edited by Andrew Musau; 26 Aug 2022, 04:34.
          • 1 like

          Comment

          • #6
            Oops!

            This is better than my previous:

            Code:
            replace spouse_names = trim(itrim(subinstr(spouse_names, "/", " ", .)))

            Comment

            • #7
              These work well. Thank you.

              Comment

              • #8
                For those who might find this topic at a later date, the regular expression coding in post #6 can be simplified to
                Code:
                replace spouse_names = ustrregexra(spouse_names,"/+$","")
                which will remove a sequence of one or more slashes (/+) that is immediately followed by the end of the string ($).
                Code:
                . list in 34/36, clean

            hhid                   spouse_names  
 34.   00030-034                  Bolo Sow/////  
 35.   00030-035   Dieynaba Ka/Salamata Sow////  
 36.   00030-036             Hawa Tamboura/////  

. replace spouse_names = ustrregexra(spouse_names,"/+$","")
(37 real changes made)

. list in 34/36, clean

            hhid               spouse_names  
 34.   00030-034                   Bolo Sow  
 35.   00030-035   Dieynaba Ka/Salamata Sow  
 36.   00030-036              Hawa Tamboura
                • 1 like

                Comment

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